In dry or colder climates, it is often desirable to add moisture to the air that is inside of an enclosed space such as a building in order to maintain suitable humidity levels. There are a variety of products on the market that employ various techniques to provide humidification including, for example, steam injection, water atomization, and evaporation. Such humidifiers are often used in conjunction with forced air residential and commercial heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.
A steam type humidifier typically heats water to make steam, and then provides the steam into a desired air stream, such as a duct of a forced air HVAC system. Such steam humidifiers are typically connected to a water source of the building, and draw the water from the water source into a water tank. The water in the water tank is then heated to produce steam. The humidifier may generally alternate or cycle between heating and non-heating states, depending on the demand for humidity by the system. In many cases, the water contains certain impurities such as certain minerals, chemicals and/or other impurities. When this water is boiled, some or all of the impurities tend to be left behind, and if not removed, can build up and ultimately degrade humidifier performance. Built-up deposits of impurities are sometimes referred-to as “scale.” What would be desirable, are steam humidifiers that include features to help counter the effects of scale buildup on humidifier performance.